Day 6: Palmyra, NY to Rochester, NY

Today we dedicated our ride to Roger, an individual who we conducted a portrait with on day one. He was so willing to to open up to us and share his story – and also let us pet his dog Duke!

We had an awesome, short ride today (23.3 miles). Everyone was zipping down the road with smiles on their face, even when one team got a little bit lost! We had such a short ride because we had an event at an American Cancer Society Hope Lodge. I personally did not know that Hope Lodges existed across the United States, but I learned today that a Hope Lodge is a place where individuals who are receiving cancer treatments and their caretakers can live during treatment. This is awesome because oftentimes to receive the most excellent treatment, people have to travel to bigger cities that might be really far away from where they are from. Staying in a hotel during treatment would be an expense that many could not handle, and a Hope Lodge helps with the financial aspect of housing while also providing emotional support and a sense of community. We had the chance to conduct FOUR Portraits today and hear about these amazing individuals currently staying in the Hope Lodge. It was a very powerful experience and we were so thankful to be there.

We had a little bit of free time after the Hope Lodge, and it was nice to be able to relax a little bit and hang out as a team. We were so thankful to get to eat at Nick Tahou Hots – the home of the famous Rochester Garbage Plate!!!!! You should definitely read about it, they were delicious and we were so thankful for their donation of food to us. We also got a food donation from Joes Brooklyn Pizza! We weren’t exactly eating the most healthy food today, but we figure we will use those calories for good tomorrow during our ride!

Stayover Spotlight: we are so thankful to be staying at the Church of Love Faith Center! This is a church right on the river, and has beautiful views and a lot of space for us to spread out and sleep.

Rider Shoutout: Mike is our other awesome ride leader and we are so thankful to have him on our team! This is his second year in a row doing the cross-country bike ride. He loves biking and sadly his bike has been out of commision for the past couple of days. It was fixed today and he did an awesome job biking and leading the team. He also does an amazing job conducting portraits, encouraging the team, and overall being supportive. He also did some of the team’s laundry today, which we (and everyone who has to be near us) are extra thankful for.

Day 5: Syracuse, NY to Palmyra, NY

Today’s ride was dedicated to the incredibly strong woman who we had the honor of conducting a portrait with yesterday evening. She shared her entire story with us and showed profound courage and honesty. Those who were present during the Portrait can agree that we are all incredibly humbled and inspired by her, and were thankful for the chance to talk to her.

Today was a 66.7 mile ride on a fairly flat route compared to the past few days! For most of the ride, we were on a NY state bike route that was very smooth and well-maintained. Because we left on time this morning and there was not a lot of wind, we rolled in to the stayover super early and had time for showers, bike repairs, raincoat shopping (a whole other story), and exploring! Palmyra happens to be home to the only intersection in America with four churches on each corner, and was the founding place of Mormonism.

We want to give a major shoutout to our stayover, the Canal Town Fellowship Church. They gave us a home cooked meal with cookies!!! and plenty of company and entertainment before and during dinner. We are all feeling so thankful and relaxed this evening after having free time and a delicious meal.

Rider Shoutout: Today, our team had a goal to roll out at 7AM. That is our usual roll out time, but we have been leaving later every day so far. Marc went above and beyond to make sure that we were on time today – he literally RAN out of the stayover to make sure that his stuff was in the van extra early. Marc also has a very positive outlook and a genuine love for biking, which is definitely contagious! He also happens to be one of our mechanics, which is very helpful as our bikes experience anything from minor to major malfunctions or needed adjustments each day.

Day 4: Little Falls, NY to Syracuse, NY

Today’s ride was dedicated to a University of Illinois professor in the education department who was very important to Mike, one of our ride leaders. Mike’s professor would often spend time in and out of the classroom to encourage his students to pursue their dreams. He passed away in the fall soon after discovering that he had been diagnosed with cancer. The whole team could tell how important this person was to Mike, and it reminded us again why we ride each day.

Today we went outside to begin the ride and realized it was COLD! Not sure why that was surprising, but we were thankful for our I4K quarter-zips this morning for sure. The hills were a little less intense than the last couple of days, which we were thankful for as well. By the end of the day, the sun had come out and we made it to Syracuse in time to have a tour of the Erie Canal Museum thanks to our WONDERFUL stayover, the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

At the stayover, we had the opportunity to talk to a church member as part of our Portraits Project. The Portraits Project is the component of our summer ride that we perhaps value the most, because it gives us the chance to meet those we are riding for. We try to interview as many people as we can: those currently battling cancer, survivors, caregivers, friends, family, anybody who has had an experience with cancer. The portrait that we conducted today was very powerful, and we hope that you look out for it on the website: http://www.portraitsproject.org/

St. Paul’s also provided us with a homemade dinner, showers at the neighboring YMCA, and food for breakfast tomorrow. We are so thankful and full and happy this evening and once again blown away by the kindness shown by strangers.

Rider shoutout: Zane has been killing it on the road these past several days. He had never really biked before doing I4K, but continues to push himself and never give up. Zane is always honest about how he feels and isn’t afraid to admit when he is sore after biking some crazy hills – but he always just stretches it out and keeps on going!

Day 3: Albany, NY to Little Falls, NY

Today’s ride was dedicated to someone important to one Zane, who is one of our awesome riders. We were thinking of this person all day as we rode from Albany to Little Falls New York, a total of 67.5 miles.

It started and ended a little bit rainy during our journey today, but nothing too bad! The hills today were tough again, but the team looked absolutely amazing climbing and descending some VERY steep areas. The views were incredible – there was so much green everywhere and fields of flowers and horses. We had a few riders in the van today due to some bike issues and/or body pain, but that was okay! Our team strives to be extremely safe, and for that to happen, the bikes and riders must be at 100%.

Speaking of safety, our rider shoutout goes to Viraat! Viraat did a great job all day signaling to cars about whether or not it was safe for them to pass. Being a biker on a busy New York highway can be a scary thing, and cars do not always know how to react around us, especially on hills or blind spots. Viraat made sure to either hold the cars back or wave them through when it was safe!

Stayover spotlight: Thank you to the Little Falls YMCA for the place to stay and for the homemade pasta dinner! Because we did not have to make our own dinner riders got to spend some time exploring the Little Falls area, and it was beautiful.

Day 2: Beacon, NY to Albany, NY

Today’s ride was dedicated to Jayce Cunningham, a friend of mine. Jayce fought Leukemia for many months and passed away in March of 2018. Today would have been his 23rd birthday, and this day weighs heavily on those who knew him. Jayce was an incredibly special person who changed the lives of many, including mine, and it was an honor to be able to dedicate today’s ride to him.

Today was a long day: an 87 mile journey through the rolling hills of upstate New York. The team absolutely crushed it on the road today and kept up a great level of positivity. Today was the warmest day that the area had seen all spring, and the breeze and sunshine felt great.

The highlight of this day for many of us is the stayover that has graciously hosted us!!! The Bethlehem YMCA in Delmar, NY has been incredible to us: they had snacks and ice water set up as soon as we arrived, cooked us a homemade pasta dinner, provided hot dogs and hamburgers to grill, gave us access to showers!!!!!!, a pool and hot tub, and their entire facility. We are currently setting up to sleep in an ice rink, there is so much space to spread out – which is kind of funny because today was our first shower since Wednesday and we don’t smell too bad (until tomorrow morning). We are SO APPRECIATIVE of those who let us stay in their facility. It is so powerful to see the kindness of strangers in action.

Rider spotlight: Nathan is such a wonderful teammate to have! He is a very strong biker and a great person to have in your group during a ride. Today he not only biked the whole route, but also helped a rider with bike issues, taped up an injured leg, AND helped grill our dinner. Nathan is also in charge of printing our directions for the day (amongst other logistic tasks) – so you could say he is a crucial part of our team!

Day 1: Central Park, NYC to Beacon, NY

Each day, we dedicate our ride to someone. This inspires us to keep going, even when things might get tough. Our ride today was dedicated to an individual from our community who was diagnosed with cancer recently, and fights the battle each day for their two young children. She shared her story at one of our fundraisers, and it made an impact on our team.

Our team put in a lot of hard work today and successfully completed the first day of riding! We started off in Central Park where we met with the Be Positive Foundation, another one of our wonderful beneficiaries. We are so inspired to see the work of these organizations and are thankful that we have gotten to know so many great people while in New York! You can read more about B+ here: https://bepositive.org/

We have to admit… New York is a little different than Illinois in terms of the landscape… lots of hills for us to conquer. Today we did a total of 64 miles and had elevation changes of 3,600 feet. In Illinois, there is only a 1,000 foot difference between the highest and lowest point in the state. Everyone stayed strong and positive and made it to Beacon in time for a Spaghetti and Lentil dinner, a LOT of stretching, and a little bit of time to relax.

We have a long journey ahead of us, but all journeys must begin somewhere, and today’s began with our first peddle, first mile, and first completed day!

Stayover Shoutout: Thank you to the St. Andrew and St. Luke Episcopal Church for giving us a place to sleep after our first day of biking.

Rider Shoutout: Marie was an awesome rider today (as always)! She stayed very positive even when her team took a little detour, and took control of asking for help when needed. We are glad to have Marie on our team!

Day 0: rollin’ out in the morning!

Today was very exciting! The team took the subway to meet with one of our beneficiaries, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. We got to meet one of the fellows who is conducting important research in the field of cancer. She was amazing at explaining her work – I do not have a science background but still feel like I understand what she is doing and how crucial her work is. If you are interested in reading more about the foundation, check them out by clicking here, or going to www.damonrunyon.org

After meeting with the Damon Runyon Foundation, the team explored New York City! Some riders explored Times Square, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial, and Wall Street. Everyone had a great time, and then finished the day with a meal from our host Bippin.

Tomorrow is the day! We are winding down now packing our bags and getting ready to leave from Central Park in the morning.

Expect many exciting updates to come!

Day -1: everyone has arrived safely in New York!

Hello friends, family members, and all supporters of the Illini 4000! My name is Kaitlin Block and I am a member of the 2019 Bike America team. I will be updating the team journal every single day this summer to give you all a glimpse into the adventure we are about to take part in: biking 4,700 miles from New York City, New York to San Francisco, California.

At 9:30 yesterday evening, 16 riders left Chicago Union Station in pursuit of New York City, and I am happy to announce that all 16 riders have arrived safely to our first destination!!!

I was a part of the group of 4 riders who drove the support van overnight. Our support van is a crucial part of the Illini 4000 team – it will carry our sleeping bags, food, water, tents, and backpacks all summer so that we do not have to carry our supplies on our backs or bikes. Some riders will take turns driving the van each day, and if a rider gets sick or has a bike malfunction, the van can get the situation taken care of! We are a well-prepared group of riders who intend to stay happy, healthy, and safe all summer long.

The other 12 riders took a nearly 24-hour train ride and arrived at our stayover in New York City a little bit later than the van did. A ‘stayover’ is just the Illini 4000 word for a place to rest our heads at night. We have worked hard for the past several months to secure a stayover each night along our route. Thanks to the generosity of many kind strangers along the way, we are hoping to rarely have to pitch tents and camp outside.

We are all a mixture of a little bit tired, a little bit nervous, and a whole lot of excited to start our ride on Saturday morning! We want to thank each and every one of you for your support along this journey. I speak for the whole team when I say that we could not do this if it wasn’t for you.

Stayover Shoutout: Thank you to Bippin for being an AMAZING host for the next two nights. He and his family are letting us stay in his home in Brooklyn, and he is making us breakfast and dinner

Rider Shoutout: I’d like to personally thank Steven for driving a very long shift in the van this morning and letting the rest of us sleep!

2019 Bike America Team Trailer

I made a snapshot/trailer for our upcoming cross-country bike ride from New York to San Francisco:

2019 Bike America Team Trailer

As I won’t have my laptop with me during the ride, for future updates and video drops, you can checkout my ‘Donate $0.01 for every mile I ride for cancer’ fundraiser where I’ll be posting videos and updates. (And take questions & video requests! )

Donate $0.01 for Every Mile I Ride for Cancer

You can also follow me on

Twitter

Youtube

Instagram

Photos for 2019 Ride

Hi everyone, I thought I’d share the album I’ve made of the team on google photos with the team and greater I4k community.
Here is the link to the album: 2019 Team Photos
You can add your photos through the link as well.
I’ll update the album daily on the ride (assuming valid internet connection is available)
If anyone has any trouble viewing or adding media, let me know.

Guys I figured out how to make a post

Hi I4Kers, I figured out how to make a blog post! I wanted to add these pictures from our stayover practice courtesy of Sisi :) More posts coming soon when I actually figure out how to use this I hope this works :) Enjoy

Day 77: Healdsburg, CA to Petaluma, CA

Today’s ride was dedicated to my Uncle Eddie (Pug) Michener. Uncle Eddie had been battling multiple myeloma for about 6 years, and passed away on Wednesday morning. He had gotten to see his grandson every week and was very loved by many, including me, my mother, and my grandma Gin Gin.

We had a super short ride today, only 34 miles into Petaluma, our last stayover of the summer. We are staying at the United Church or Christ and have been hanging out here since lunch time washing our bikes, signing each other’s jerseys, and enjoying this last night together. For dinner we had delicious pasta and lentils AND buttered chicken made by Viraat. It was absolutely amazing!

Well, this is a sad one to write, but I’ve got to write my last rider blurb about my best friend Maria. Maria and I have been roommates for three years straight now, including the summertimes. We applied to this trip together and it has been so incredible to get to live this adventure every day with someone so awesome and supportive. No matter what kind of day it has been, I can always count on Maria saving me a place at the stayover in the coldest room in the building and right next to a power outlet. That might seem like a small thing, but it is the biggest thing in the world after a day on the road. It is historically difficult for me to do a trip like this: we are running on very little sleep, waking up early, eating unfamiliar food with unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar place each night. Having not only a familiar face, but one of my favorite people on earth to get to do this trip with has been so awesome and has allowed me to step even further outside of my comfort zone and truly embrace the spirit of this trip. Maria is the best listener you will ever meet, no matter how mundane your story is. She is thoughtful and kind and makes every day memorable. I’m not quite sure what I am going to do in a few days when I can’t come back home (or to a random church in a random city) to chat with Maria about anything and everything.

Tomorrow we cross the bridge and end what was the longest ride in Illini 4000 history. It’s hard to be with a group of people for so many days straight without any breaks. But it was pretty easy with this group. I’m lucky to have gotten to know everybody and to have been a part of this family. Tomorrow will be my last post/summary of this trip! I am both excited and sad about that!